Current News

The US Small Business Administration is providing $30 million in grants to states, territories, and the District of Columbia, to help increase exporting by small businesses during the next 12 months. The grants were authorized by the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, under the State Trade and Export Promotion Program (STEP). Vermont has been allocated $363,768.
The STEP program, launched in March, aligns with President Obama’s National Export Initiative. The President’s initiative calls for doubling U.S. exports in five years ‘ and in so doing, supporting two million jobs. The program provides federal government funding for 65 to75 percent of program costs, with states supplying the remainder.

Tong Chen, a middle and high school Chinese teacher at Leland & Gray Union High School in Townsend, was named by Commissioner Armando Vilaseca as the 2012 Vermont Teacher of the Year at a ceremony held today at the school.
Also honored were:

Alternate Jeff Johnson, a physical education teacher at Mt Anthony Union Middle and High School in Bennington.
Finalists Mark Weikert, a physical education teacher at Flood Brook Union School in Londonderry; and Glenda Allen, a literacy and math teacher at Barre Town Elementary School in Barre Town.

Increasingly, scientific research depends upon huge pools of data ‘ like gene sequences or weather models ‘ shared between scientists at numerous institutions. And this sharing depends upon fast fiber-optic networks and other so-called cyber-infrastructure ‘ far faster than a conventional internet hook-up.
In Vermont, that information pipeline has been not been as big as necessary or entirely missing in places.
But that’s changing.
The Vermont Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (VT EPSCoR) at the University of Vermont has received a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation for the next two years to connect the Vermont State Colleges (VSC) and the University of Vermont with high-speed fiber optic cables and other information-sharing technologies.

Foliage is nearing peak color on the mountainsides of the Northeast Kingdom and at higher elevations down the spine of the Green Mountains.
Vibrant foliage continues to develop around Vermont, and most areas of the state will be displaying ever more colorful foliage throughout the week. ‘The mountains in Richford and Montgomery are at mid-stage to near peak, and the lower elevations are in the early to mid stages of color,’ reports Nancy Patch, a forester in Franklin County, near the Canadian border.
Likewise, foliage is nearing peak color in the Northeast Kingdom and on some of the higher elevations of the Green Mountains well into central Vermont. Look for bright color between Jay Peak and St. Johnsbury, Stowe and Montpelier, then south to Killington.
The lower hillsides in central Vermont are generally at mid-stage with a 30 to 50 percent change. Bright, scarlet maples highlight the emerging, quilt-like mix of yellow, orange and burgundy.

Yesterday, Vermont Senators Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders issued a statement following the Senate’s decision to not cut funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies that provide federal disaster assistance. The two Senators were very vocal about securing emergency funds for states in need, such as Vermont, while not allowing setbacks in other government programs to do so.
The statement read, ‘We fought to ensure that the agreement maintains disaster funding without forcing cuts in other needed programs. We will continue to work with Congressman Welch and Governor Shumlin to make certain that Vermonters get all the help they need and deserve.’
The Senate approved the bill 79-12 before being sent to the House to get signed off. The measure was seen as a victory for Vermont and all states receiving federal disaster assistance.

James Roth, cofounder of The Treehouse Guys of Warren, Vermont, (formerly Forever Young Treehouses), is the 2011 recipient of Paralyzed Veterans of America's Barrier-Free America Award. Roth, through his company, has built 34 universally accessible treehouses in private camps and public parks across the country. John Connell, the architect behind the first prototype designs received honorable mention for his work.

"It's an honor to be recognized by Paralyzed Veterans of America for our work," Roth said. "It's been a dream for us to build these accessible treehouses so that everyone, no matter their physical ability, can experience the joy of what it's like to 'climb' and be at the top of a treehouse."

Governor Peter Shumlin announced today that the US Department of Agriculture has approved the administration’s request for natural disaster declaration assistance for farmers in all 14 counties in Vermont (Lamoille, Washington and Windham were named as contiguous disaster areas) to help with damage costs from storms and heavy rainfall that began in April.
‘I appreciate Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack approving this request, and hope farmers who lost crops and equipment in the spring and summer storms will move quickly to seek emergency loan assistance from the Farm Service Agency,’ the Governor said.
The Governor also thanked Vermont’s congressional delegation ‘ Sens. Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders, and Rep. Peter Welch ‘ who helped secure storm-related federal assistance for farmers and communities from the spring storms and Tropical Storm Irene.

The Vermont Community Foundation is making grants available to assist Vermont nonprofit organizations affected by Tropical Storm Irene. Online applications are available on their website: http://www.vermontcf.org/sun-irene.
Organizations may apply for up to $5,000 to support repair and recovery for damage sustained from the storm or to cover increased demand for services being provided to those affected by the storm. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and grant decisions are made within two weeks of the submission date.
The Foundation has also listed other Irene-related grant opportunities for Vermont non profits as follows:
FEMA for public assistance grants
CVCAC for small business grants through the VT Irene Flood Relief Fund
Marlboro College for scholarships for nonprofits with flood damage

Global precision molder and contract manufacturer GW Plastics announced today the expansion of its Silicones Division in Royalton, Vermont, to support increasing demand. With an initial investment of approximately $3 million dollars, GW will break ground in October 2011 and plans for full occupancy by the first quarter of 2012.
GW Silicones offers highly-automated, precision molding and contract assembly services for Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) applications, as well as, internal mold design and build capabilities. The new expansion will allow for increased capacity by creating an additional 15,000 square feet, scalable up to 25,000 square feet, including a new ISO Class 8 cleanroom for silicone molding and assembly. The initial expansion will be capable of supporting up to 18 machines. Based upon current projections, GW expects the expansion to add 25 to 50 jobs over the next three to five years.

Governor Peter Shumlin today announced his support for the Vermont Long Term Disaster Recovery Group (VLTDRG), a body that is central to long term recovery efforts relating to natural disasters in Vermont. The Group is responsible for providing financial and resource-based needs to individuals who need assistance beyond what Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or insurance companies can provide through in-kind donations, volunteer resources and the Vermont Disaster Relief Fund.
‘This is the only statewide non-profit exclusively dedicated to disaster relief,’ said Governor Shumlin. ‘The Vermont Long Term Disaster Recovery Group will help to fill the gap for individuals who need the most help rebuilding their lives.’

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced loans and grants for more than 500 agricultural producers and rural small businesses across the country to implement renewable energy and energy efficiency measures in their operations. Vermont receive more than $250,000 for solar projects in Windham County.
‘This funding is an important part of the Obama Administration’s plan to help the nation’s farmers, agricultural producers and rural small businesses conserve natural resources, create more green jobs and lead us on the path to becoming an energy independent nation,’ Vilsack said. ‘These projects are in addition to the more than 900 renewable energy and energy efficiency projects recently announced during the President’s Rural Economic Forum.’

Hampton Direct, Inc, an award winning Williston Vermont-based company that develops, brands and markets innovative products for the Direct Response industry, has teamed up with the United Way to provide much-needed assistance to fellow Vermonters who have been affected by Tropical Storm Irene. For each Hampton Direct employee that donated at least $10 to assist the Vermont Disaster Relief Fund, Hampton Direct matched that with an additional $100 corporate donation. The end goal raised $4,438 for the cause.
Hampton Direct sells to retailers globally, and its brands include Twin Draft Guard®, Wonder Hanger®, Total Pillow®, Furniture Fixâ ¢ and PajamaJeans®.